Why Fall River’s Braga Bridge Was Lit up Orange Instead of Blue This Week

If you noticed something different about the Braga Bridge this week, you're not alone.

I was driving home from Providence April 18 when I noticed a bright glow on the Braga up ahead. At first, I thought there had been an accident and the orange light was coming from tow trucks and emergency vehicles.

Realizing there were no brake lights or traffic back-up as I got closer was a sure indication that I was wrong.

It turned out, the blue lights I had just gotten used to had been changed to a blood-orange color.

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Back in May 2022, Fun 107 spoke with state Rep. Carole Fiola, who was spearheading the illumination project alongside Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito claiming that the blue lights were just the first phase.

"What you see now is not what it's ultimately going to be," Fiola told Fun 107. "This is a temporary Phase 1.  Mass DOT says it's at 25% of the design contract. There's a plan underway, It's not going backward. The funds are committed."

The second phase was set for spring/summer of 2023 and it looks like we've arrived. I reached out to Fiola once again to see if there was any significance behind the next color being orange,

"The bridge was lit orange last night (Tuesday) in support of Work Zone Safety Week," Fiola said. "It will be lit in orange again on Friday night for the same reason. All MassDOT bridges capable of this type of lighting are being lit in orange for this purpose."

White, yellow, pink, purple, and teal are next on the color scheme as the bridge light project progresses.